Chapter 804 Allies
The threat triggered different reactions. Some smiled at Khan's no-nonsense stance, mainly because actual events supported it. The recent slaughter told everyone he couldn't be more serious, which vouched for his commitment.
Instead, others saw the threat as additional proof of Khan's unreliability. He seemed bound to taint his name even more, inevitably affecting his eventual allies.
Nevertheless, everyone quickly suppressed their reactions. The gesture was pointless before Khan, but those instincts were hard to abandon, especially for descendants who had spent their entire lives training for similar moments.
Khan feigned ignorance and even looked at his drink to pretend he wasn't paying attention to the scene. He couldn't miss any detail even if he wanted to, but the gesture gave the descendants some breathing room, allowing them to consider the offer without additional mental pressure.
The matter was far from simple, which was part of the reason Khan tried to make things easier for the descendants. Moreover, everyone was aware of its intricacies, building up tension as the seconds passed.
It was the descendants' job to replace their parents. Mana made the endeavor last decades, but that remained the ultimate goal of the new generation.
The descendants could achieve the goal in many ways. The wealthy ones actually had countless paths available, and nothing stopped them from exploring all of them.
Social alliances, remunerative businesses, influential structures, and more could increase the descendants' value, eventually putting them at the center of their factions' political array. This process was slow and often involved many negotiations and secret deals, but everything always started with assets.
Khan's offer could go a long way toward that goal. Some of the wealthiest descendants in the hall owned entire space stations, but a proper planet outclassed those structures. Adding the Thilku Empire to the equation only increased its value. The deals would also be profitable, and securing them would grant massive influence and power to the younger generation.
The fact that the matter was connected to Khan could be a drawback, but the public announcement put the audience into a pickle. The descendants would have to split the planet among themselves, so refusing now would leave open spots, increasing the offer's value. Fewer contestants meant vaster available areas, which could lead to greater earnings.
Simply put, even those set on refusing hesitated to avoid benefitting their fellow descendants. Letting them earn freely from Baoway would put them ahead on the political ladder, consequently creating unfavorable comparisons, and no one wanted to be part of the younger generation's bad batch.
Many considered accepting the offer to limit their fellow descendants' earnings, but that would be a hasty decision. Still, one side of the audience had it easier and soon made its voice heard.
"Sure," Luke was the first to break the pensive silence. "I owe you one anyway, and it's not like I won't earn from it."
Luke glanced at Bruce, who promptly nodded before adding something. "Should we expect individual meetings for the negotiations?"
"A general one first to split the quadrants," Khan explained. "Individual ones afterward."
"I wanted a more direct line with you, Prince Khan," Lucian announced. "I won't miss this opportunity, right, Mark?"
"Money is money," Mark sighed. "Though I suspect Prince Khan doesn't want any involvement from our parents."
"Indeed," Khan confirmed. "This opportunity is for you as long as it's limited to you."
"Mark," John called. "You'll have to help me out on the numbers issue."
"We can have our negotiations together," Mark gave in, nodding.
Anita almost joined the conversation, but George silenced her by grabbing her hand. She shot a confused glance at him, but he pretended not to notice while keeping his eyes on Khan. Their allegiance wasn't in doubt, so a silent stance would have a greater impact. George would explain that to Anita later, and she trusted him enough to play along for now.
Prince William and Princess Felicia were also in the hall, but the network knew about their loyalties. Alexander had chosen Khan as his successor, so his Cousins simply smiled, allowing him to seize the spotlight.
Those who had yet to state their opinion were mostly women. Lucy, Zoe, Marcia, and a few others had never established a relatively deep friendship with Khan in the Harbor, so they hesitated to jump on his ship.
However, big players had already stepped forward. Luke was famously rich, and Bruce was right behind him. The same went for Lucian, and Mark and John were no mere pawns, either.
Adding the Nognes and Solodrey family to the equation created a massive force with immense influence. An organization with such powerful players could achieve almost anything, and missing the chance to be part of it could be the regret of a lifetime.
The hesitation intensified, giving birth to a fearsome realization. The colonization of the planet and descendants' enrichment were already set in stone, but that had always been unavoidable. The matter had become a certainty the second Khan had mentioned it.
Yet, counting and evaluating the families that had chosen to join Khan clarified another aspect of the event. From the beginning, Khan had claimed that he would remain in charge, so his new allies pushed his authority to a superior level.
That was only the younger generation. The descendants' control over their families was limited and often hindered by their parents and other factions. However, things wouldn't always remain like that, and only a fraction of those allies had to become Patriarchs and Matriarchs to provide Khan with immense power.
That simple meeting inside a dance hall could very well mark the birth of one of the greatest organizations the Global Army had ever seen. Still, even that wasn't enough to obtain unanimous approval.
"You'll explain this to my Father," Lucy commented, eyeing Mark before looking at Khan. "Count me in, Prince Khan."
"Prince, I'm afraid I must refuse," Zoe followed. "I don't wield much influence right now, so I can't make such decisions by myself."
"The same goes for me, Prince Khan," Marcia exclaimed. "I'm bound to my parents for these decisions. I hope you can understand."
The refusals only contained half-truths, but Khan had no interest in probing deeper or publicly shaming those descendants. He understood why those figures would find it troublesome to join him, so he didn't blame the two women or those who followed with similar statements.
"It's settled, then," Khan eventually announced. "Focus on the party now. I've stolen enough time from my fiancée's celebration."
"You'll make it up to me," Monica giggled. "Come on. I feel like dancing again."
Monica's words targeted the audience, who couldn't refuse her wishes on that particular day. The descendants exchanged nods with Khan but eventually left him alone with his Cousins.
"Bold move," Prince William commented. "You are leaving the Global Army no chance to interfere."
"It never had any chance," Khan declared. "I'm simply accelerating the process."
"I wonder why," Prince William said. "Did something happen with our Mother?"
"William," Princess Felicia chuckled, but her call had a scolding vibe. "Can the faction help with the negotiations?"
"You can send someone to help run the numbers," Khan accepted, "But leave the heavy lifting to their families."
"Do you want to see if they'll stay true to their promises?" Prince William wondered, glancing at the dancing descendants. "They have the assets."
"Though," Princess Felicia intervened, "Their ability to control them is in question."
Khan didn't confirm it, but Princess Felicia had hit the mark. Many saw Khan as an unstable threat now, so the descendants' families could oppose the agreed-upon cooperation. Those who could meet Khan's terms anyway would prove themselves to wield real power.
"The political game," Prince William sighed. "You'd think you would grow tired of it at some point, but it never happens."
"You should enjoy yourself, too, Cousin," Princess Felicia suggested. "You won't get much free time once everything starts."
"I am enjoying myself," Khan stated, his eyes fixed on the dance hall. The area had many friends, but Monica's smile and occasional glances in his direction obscured them. Only she existed, and seeing her happy made all that political pressure worth it.
"Do you envy them, Cousin?" Prince William wondered, also looking at the dancing crowd.
"I think I used to in the past," Khan admitted.
"All the money, toys, and riches in the world," Prince William commented, "And they only want more."
"Are the nobles any different?" Khan asked.
"No," Prince William uttered, showing his smile to Khan. "We are worse. We can't even look past the benefits of our status."
"You chose me," Khan pointed out. "I should be no different than a tamed beast in your eyes."
"On the contrary," Prince William said.
"You are a noble," Princess Felicia explained. "But you also received an education we can't gain access to. That makes you special."
"Your hopes are the least of my problems," Khan declared.
"You have been a Prince for four months," Prince William stated, "And you've involved many major families in colonizing a planet. You also have the Empire on your side. I don't think we need to hope at all."
"You are doing great, Cousin," Princess Felicia summarized.
'But it's still not enough,' Khan thought. Something told him that even gathering humankind under a single banner wouldn't be enough against the scarlet eyes.